Todd Helton says he will return to Colorado Rockies for likely final season

There was no epiphany. Rockies star Todd Helton just followed his body's lead and listened to his head. Three months of workouts and recent batting practice told him that his surgically repaired left hip was healed and his desire to play remained strong, leading to his return for what likely will be his final major-league season.

"I am back, baby," Helton said with a laugh. "When you are 39 years old, coming off hip surgery, those things don't really go good together when you are talking about a baseball player. There was some uncertainty and doubt after last season. But as I got into it, it only fueled my appetite to keep playing and keep getting better."

Helton played in only 69 games last season, hitting .238 with a .343 on-base percentage, the second-lowest of his career, and 37 RBIs. A promising start, including a towering walk-off home run against the Diamondbacks on April 14, turned sour when his hip began to ache the first week of June. The pain compromised his swing, disrupting his timing and siphoning his power.

He had a torn labrum fixed Aug. 10, ending his season and casting doubt about his future. Helton long maintained he wanted to play out the final year of his contract, but couldn't commit fully until the testing his leg. A meeting with new manager Walt Weiss last month helped convice both that the Rockies' five-time all-star would come back for his 17th season, all with Colorado.

"We sat down at breakfast at the Cracker Barrel, where else? It was a good thing. Talking to him got me excited and rarin' to go," Helton said. "He has high expectations for us, but he's also a realist and knows that we have a lot of work to do if we are going to get back into the postseason."

Helton enters the season with 2,420 hits, 354 home runs and a lifetime .320 batting average, numbers that will make him a strong candidate for the Hall of Fame. He's not motivated, though, by statistics. There's little frankly that he could do in one last season that would change how he's viewed anyway.

Todd Helton knocks down a ground ball during the Rockies home opener against the Giants on April 9, 2012. (AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)

But he would like to leave on his own terms, healthy and enjoying competing with his teammates, a luxury not provided most athletes.

"You never want to go out being on the DL on a bad team. If you could write a script, we would win the World Series and they'd put me out to pasture," Helton said. "I just want to get back out there, play better and help this team do the right things."

Helton's role is defined but fluid based on his hip, back and performance. Weiss made it clear that Helton is the Rockies' starting first baseman, saying, "I think he's going to mean a lot to our club this year, just because of who he is. He's one of those unique guys. He's a great, great pro."

A former star at Tennessee who talked up Denver to Peyton Manning last spring, Helton recognizes that he won't play six or seven days a week. Michael Cuddyer, Tyler Colvin and Jordan Pacheco are capable replacements, though none can match Helton's defense.

"If I am healthy and being out there on the field helps the team, I want to be out there. But I don't want to be out there as a favor to anybody," Helton said. "I will have my eyes wide open to how I am doing and I will listen to my manager."

Family factored into the decision to return. Helton and wife Christy have two daughters, 10-year-old Tierney and 3-year-old Gentry. He wants them to see him go out with sleeves rolled up, punching the clock, savoring a likely last ride without any fanfare.

"I just want to play. My oldest doesn't want me to retire yet. She's a smart girl. She's knows that the end is coming. She enjoys it and maybe this year my youngest will be old enough to enjoy it too," Helton said. "And here's another thing: We are due for a good year. Last year, the team (stunk). Last year, I (stunk). I am due for a good year. So I am saying we have a chance."

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